5 Quirky ‘ls’ Command Tricks Every Linux User Should Know

If you are a Linux user, you are probably familiar with the ls command, which is used to list contents of a directory. However, did you know that there are several quirky and useful tricks that you can use with the ls command? In this article, we will explore five powerful techniques that every Linux user should know.

Displaying File Size in Human-Readable Format

By default, the ls command displays file size in bytes. However, this can be difficult to read, especially for larger files. Fortunately, you can use the -h option to display file size in a more human-readable format

ls -lh

total 4.0K
-rw-r--r-- 1 user user 1.1M Mar 23 10:05 file1.txt
-rw-r--r-- 1 user user  54K Mar 23 10:05 file2.txt

In the output above, file sizes are displayed in a more readable format, with units such as K (kilobytes) and M (megabytes).

Displaying File Type with Colorful Output

Another useful trick is to display file types with colorful output. By default, the ls command does not distinguish between different types of files. However, you can use the --color option to display different types of files with different colors

ls --color=auto

file1.txt  file2.txt  folder1/

In the output above, regular files are displayed in white, while directories are displayed in blue. This makes it easier to identify different file types at a glance.

Sorting Output by File Size

If you want to sort the output of the ls command by file size, you can use the -S option. This will sort files in descending order, with the largest files listed first

ls -lhS

total 4.0K
-rw-r--r-- 1 user user 1.1M Mar 23 10:05 file1.txt
-rw-r--r-- 1 user user  54K Mar 23 10:05 file2.txt

In the output above, files are sorted by size, with the largest file (file1.txt) listed first.

Displaying Hidden Files and Advanced Listing

By default, the ls command does not display hidden files (files that begin with a dot). However, you can use the -a option to display all files, including hidden ones

ls -la

total 12K
drwxr-xr-x 2 user user 4.0K Mar 23 10:05 .
drwxr-xr-x 3 user user 4.0K Mar 23 10:04 ..
-rw-r--r-- 1 user user 1.1M Mar 23 10:05 file1.txt
-rw-r--r-- 1 user user  54K Mar 23 10:05 file2.txt
-rw-r--r-- 1 user user   12 Mar 23 10:03 .hidden_file

The -l option provides detailed information including file permissions, owner, group, size, and modification time.

Using Wildcards for Advanced Pattern Matching

You can use wildcards to perform advanced searching with the ls command. This is particularly useful for filtering files based on specific patterns

List Files Starting with Specific Letter

ls a*

List Files with Specific Extension

ls *.txt

file1.txt  file2.txt

List Only Directories

ls -d */

List Files by Modification Time

ls -lt

This displays files sorted by modification time, with the most recently modified files listed first.

Comparison of Useful ls Options

Conclusion

The ls command is one of the most fundamental tools in Linux, but these advanced techniques can significantly enhance your productivity. By mastering these tricks from human-readable file sizes to pattern matching with wildcards you can navigate and analyze directory contents more efficiently than ever before.